AEG MOVIE ACT 4: “LA — Open for Business Or Up for Sale”

And the Oscar for political theater goes to … Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group for a brilliant performance running circles around LA’s politicians and bureaucrats and bamboozling the public with a fantasy of football, jobs and prosperity.

Magnificent!

In the climactic scene of a two-year “drama” over what always was a done deal, the City Council voted unanimously Friday to give AEG entitlements to build Farmers Field and rebuild the white elephant Convention Center (which it is sure to operate) without any significant direct benefits coming to the city.

Clearly, it was something to cheer about. Junior Council members Mitch Englander and Joe Buscaino, the reserve cop and the ex-cop, high five each other in joy at the thrilling historic moment and Buscaino salutes Tim Leiweke sitting at the end of the front pew.

Then, Council members and top bureaucrats rush in a line for the chance to shake the man with the golden hand and congratulate him for how he managed to get them to vote for a project that commits all tax revenue to pay its costs, requires huge public expenditures for infrastructure and leaves eight critical environmental areas — including air quality and traffic congestion — with significant unmitigated impacts.

While indicted felon Richard Alarcon throws a football to the audience, a single Councilman remains seated and doesn’t even look up from his papers during the festivities — former Police Chief Bernard Parks — while the architect of the approval stands nearby basking in the glory.

11 Responses to AEG MOVIE ACT 4: “LA — Open for Business Or Up for Sale”

Congrats people. You have the best city council the money can buy.
And you deserve it. You deserve each and every one of these clowns-you voted for them.
Good luck because you will need it when the city will have no choice but declare bankruptcy and all the hell breaks loose.

Allow me to respond, on the 64th Anniversary of my beloved parents, who nourished our family as it grew in this city, in the valley, and then happened to get the heck out as industry beckoned elsewhere. But they instilled in us a patient and determined charism through their belief that hard working, well intentioned people CAN make a difference.

I’ve spent most of my adult life just out-side of city limits. And maybe it’s not a coincidence that from So Cal to New York and back, we lived in homes with NOThing-In-My-Back-Yard but open space…at least at first. Out on LA County line, we incorporated, slowly, around school and water districts first. (At one point, there was even a “Canyon County” proposed, aiming over the Simi Hills to the Santa Clarita, aiming to carve into a bit of Eastern Ventura County). Ultimately, with ‘blight flight’ from the valley and basin, the suburbanites flew to nestle in new cities, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, and Calabasas, Jointly Venturing here and there, including Hidden and Hills and Malibu in a Council Of Governments wherever possible to preserve the quality of life that seems to exist only in nostalgia for Los Angelinos.

We found we were able to take things into our own hands…without having to drive downtown, and the area flourishes despite hard times.

I, for one, am not afraid of a fight, and having moved into this LA River watershed, I find there’s a lot of people to pull together with to effect positive change. I look forward to meeting Teddy, for example, and giving her a big bear hug.

It’ll take some doing, or even un-doing of the current city structure, to charter a new course.

For those who have moved away or passed on, I hope they’ll have our back…Guardian Angelinos if you will. But as long as history keeps getting written, there’s still hope we can redeem this city…on a wing and a prayer.

Thank you, Dave, for writing a positive note about Ron letting us know what is really
happening. Today an announcement about the Alarcons being indicted for running
for city council with a false address!!! We do not need them in the Assembly.

We must be sure to help ourselves by not voting for any encumbents for new
jobs. Give new people an opportunity to help us save our city. One term at a time.
No more careers. Hear that, Perry, Greuel and Zine and all the rest of you???

But you are still continuing with opportunities to berman/Sherman, Feinstein,etc. you don’t think they are screwing up your interests?
How about new people Everywhere ?
What about blumenfield ? Does he deserve to win again ?

I am not supporting Feinstein, please vote for Emken. Feinstein has served for
entirely too many years. She really isn’t effective any more. As for Berman,
Sherman and my OLD “representative” Waxman. They all need to retire. I wonder if I can vote “no” ON MY Berman/Sherman ballot? I would like to see another
election for the 30th.

you know…have this creepy feeling that
the AEG-Council-Unions melodrama
is just an illusion….a theatrical distraction…
and in the end…something entirely
unanticipated, unimagined will appear…
no sports arena, no luxury hotels, no “world-class-city”
and no la dolce vita ….only hell….
all the possibilities for true horror and suffering…
LA is doomed…